Safety Bottle Cap

ABSTRACT

A safety bottle cap includes a bottom cap body having a bottom cap wall that has a discharge opening, a top cap body openably connected to and disposed above the bottom cap body, and a safety mechanism having an engaging hole portion, an engaging hook portion engaging hookably the engaging hole portion, and a snappable connecting part that connects one of the engaging hole portion and the engaging hook portion to one of the bottom cap body and the top cap body. The other one of the engaging hole portion and the engaging hook portion is disposed on the other one of the bottom cap body and the top cap body. The snappable connecting part is snapped off when the top cap body is opened for a first time.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a bottle cap, and more particularly to a safetybottle cap that is openably connected to a container in order to seal anaccommodating space in the container.

2. Description of the Related Art

Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional flip bottle cap 12 is disposed abovea container 11, which is suitable for filling a paste or liquid, such ascleanser, lotion, shampoo, etc. The bottle cap 12 has a bottom cap body121 connected to a lip 111 of the container 11, a top cap body 122, anda connecting wall 123 interconnecting the top cap body 122 and thebottom cap body 121. The bottom cap body 121 has a discharge opening 124for the paste or liquid in the container 11 to flow out.

However, before the container 11 using the conventional flip bottle cap12 is sold, the top cap body 122 of the bottle cap 12 may be opened bysomeone to pour out the paste or liquid, or pour in a harmful substance,which cannot be realized from an outer appearance of the bottle cap 12,thus resulting in safety concerns.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a safetybottle cap that facilitates identification as to whether it has beenopened from an outer appearance thereof, thus enhancing safety.

According to the present invention, a safety bottle cap comprises:

a bottom cap body having a bottom cap wall that has a discharge opening;

a top cap body openably connected to and disposed above the bottom capbody, so as to seal the discharge opening of the bottom cap body; and

a safety mechanism having an engaging hole portion, an engaging hookportion engaging hookably the engaging hole portion in such a manner toprevent removal of the engaging hook portion from the engaging holeportion, and a snappable connecting part that connects one of theengaging hole portion and the engaging hook portion to one of the bottomcap body and the top cap body, the other one of the engaging holeportion and the engaging hook portion being disposed on the other one ofthe bottom cap body and the top cap body;

wherein the snappable connecting part is snapped off when the top capbody is opened for a first time, so as to expose the discharge openingof the bottom cap body.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other features and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent in the following detailed description of the preferredembodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a conventional bottle cap;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a first preferred embodiment of asafety bottle cap according to the present invention, wherein the safetybottle cap is in a non-hooked condition;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 2, wherein the safetybottle cap is in a hooked condition;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary exploded sectional view of the first preferredembodiment;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 2, wherein the safetybottle cap is in an opened condition;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a second preferred embodiment of asafety bottle cap according to the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a third preferred embodiment of asafety bottle cap according to the present invention, wherein the safetybottle cap is in a non-hooked condition;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 7, wherein the safetybottle cap is in a hooked condition;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary sectional view of the third preferredembodiment, wherein the safety bottle cap is in the hooked condition;and

FIG. 10 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 7, wherein the safetybottle cap is in an openable condition.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Before the present invention is described in greater detail withreference to the preferred embodiments, it should be noted herein thatsimilar components are denoted by the same reference numerals in thefollowing description.

Referring to FIG. 2 to FIG. 4, the first preferred embodiment of asafety bottle cap according to the present invention is suitable to beconnected to a lip 91 of a container 9. The safety bottle cap is made ofa plastic material, and comprises a bottom cap body 2, a top cap body 3,and a safety mechanism 4.

In this embodiment, the bottom cap body 2 has a bottom cap wall 21fixedly connected to the lip 91 of the container 9. The bottom cap wall21 has a bottom base wall portion 211 formed with a discharge opening213, and a surrounding wall portion 212 extending from an outerperiphery of the bottom base wall portion 211 and disposed below thebottom base wall portion 211. The surrounding wall portion 212 has anannular outer surface 214 having a bottom cap recess 217, an annularinner surface 215, and a finger accessible recess 216.

The top cap body 3 has a top cap wall 31 corresponding to the bottombase wall portion 211, an outer peripheral wall 32 extending downwardfrom an outer periphery of the top cap wall 31 and having a lower endabutting against the surrounding wall portion 212, a flexible connectingwall 33 integrally interconnecting the top cap wall 31 and thesurrounding wall portion 212, a sealing wall 34 extending from a centralportion of the top cap wall 31 toward the discharge opening 213 toopenably seal the discharge opening 213, and a push wall 35 extendingradially and outwardly from a lower end of the outer peripheral wall 32.The push wall 35 corresponds to the finger accessible recess 216 of thebottom cap body 2, and is diametrically opposite to the flexibleconnecting wall 33.

The safety mechanism 4 has an engaging hole portion 41 disposed on thesurrounding wall portion 212 of the bottom cap body 2, an engaging hookportion 44 engaging hookably the engaging hole portion 41, and asnappable connecting part 42 that connects the engaging hook portion 44to the outer peripheral wall 32 of the top cap body 3.

The engaging hole portion 41 has a hole-surrounding surface 412 definingan engaging hole 411 extending through the annular inner surface 215 ofthe surrounding wall portion 212, and a plurality of stopping plates 413extending from the hole-surrounding surface 412 toward a center of theengaging hole 411. The engaging hole 411 is disposed in the bottom caprecess 217. The bottom cap recess 217 is disposed between the fingeraccessible recess 216 and the flexible connecting wall 33.

The engaging hook portion 44 has a plate 440 connected integrally to thesnappable connecting part 42, and an engaging hook 449 extending fromthe plate 440 and into the engaging hole 411. The engaging hook 449 hasa straight inserting part 441 configured to extend past the stoppingplates 413, and a barb-shaped hook part 442 configured to abut againstthe stopping plates 413, so as to prevent removal of the engaging hook449 from the engaging hole 411.

The snappable connecting part 42 has two connecting ribs 421 integrallyinterconnecting the plate 440 of the engaging hook portion 44 and theouter peripheral wall 32 of the top cap body 3.

Referring to FIG. 2, FIG. 3, and FIG. 5, the safety bottle cap of thisembodiment is in a non-hooked condition after it is manufactured asshown in FIG. 2. In this condition, the engaging hole portion 41 of thesafety mechanism 4 is integrally formed on the surrounding wall portion212 of the bottom cap body 2, and the engaging hook portion 44 isintegrally connected to the outer peripheral wall 32 of the top cap body3 via the snappable connecting part 42 of the safety mechanism 4. Whenit is desired to change the safety bottle cap of the embodiment from thenon-hooked condition to a hooked condition, the top cap body 3 is firstcovered on the bottom cap body 2. Next, the engaging hook portion 44 ispressed into the engaging hole portion 41. When the engaging hook 449 isengaged in the engaging hole 411 of the engaging hole portion 41, thesafety bottle cap is changed to the hooked condition as shown in FIG. 3.In the hooked condition, the engaging hole portion 41 and the engaginghook portion 44 engage each other, and the snappable connecting part 42interconnects the top cap body 3 and the engaging hook portion 44, suchthat the top cap body 3 is unable to be opened. It should be noted that,as long as the engaging hole portion 41 and the engaging hook portion 44engage each other, and the safety mechanism 4 is connected between thetop cap body 3 and the bottom cap body 2 unless the safety bottle cap isopened.

When the container 9 is used for the first time, the top cap body 3 isopened by pushing the push wall 35 in an opening direction 5 as shown inFIG. 3, such that the snappable connecting part 42 which originallyinterconnects the top cap body 3 and the engaging hook portion 44 issnapped off, as shown in FIG. 5. Hence, two stubs 423 (see FIG. 5) areleft on the top cap body 3 and the engaging hook portion 44, and thesafety bottle cap is in an opened condition as shown in FIG. 5.Moreover, the colors of the engaging hook portion 44 and the snappableconnecting part 42 are different from those of the top cap body 3 andthe bottom cap body 2 in this embodiment to enhance effect ofidentification.

Referring to FIG. 3 and FIG. 5, it is known from the above descriptionthat, once the top cap body 3 is opened, the connecting ribs 421 of thesafety mechanism 4 are broken. Therefore, consumers can easily identifywhether the safety bottle cap has been opened by observing theappearance thereof.

FIG. 6 illustrates the second preferred embodiment of a safety bottlecap according to the present invention, which is similar to the firstpreferred embodiment. The difference between the second preferredembodiment and the first preferred embodiment resides in that the bottomcap recess 217 is L-shaped, and the plate 440 is received fittinglywithin the bottom cap recess 217.

Referring to FIG. 7 to FIG. 9, the third preferred embodiment of asafety bottle cap according to the present invention also comprises abottom cap body 2, a top cap body 3, and a safety mechanism 4. Thebottom cap body 2 has a bottom cap wall 21. The bottom cap wall 21 has abottom base wall portion 211 formed with a discharge opening 213, and asurrounding wall portion 212 extending from an outer periphery of thebottom base wall portion 211 and disposed below the bottom base wallportion 211. The surrounding wall portion 212 has an annular top surface219, and an annular outer surface 214 having a bottom cap recess 217formed through the annular top surface 219. The top cap body 3 has a topcap wall 31 corresponding to the bottom base wall portion 211, an outerperipheral wall 32 extending downward from an outer periphery of the topcap wall 31 and having a lower end abutting against the surrounding wallportion 212, a flexible connecting wall 33 integrally interconnectingthe top cap wall 31 and the surrounding wall portion 212, a sealing wall34 extending from the top cap wall 31 toward the discharge opening 213to openably seal the discharge opening 213, and a push wall 35 extendingfrom the outer peripheral wall 32. The safety mechanism 4 has anengaging hole portion 41 disposed on the surrounding wall portion 212 ofthe bottom cap body 2, an engaging hook portion 44 engaging hookably theengaging hole portion 41, and a snappable connecting part 42.

In this embodiment, the surrounding wall portion 212 of the bottom capbody 2 has the annular top surface 219, the outer peripheral wall 32 ofthe top cap body 3 has a top cap recess 322 corresponding to the bottomcap recess 217 of the bottom cap body 2, and the engaging hook portion44 is disposed on the outer peripheral wall 32 of the top cap body 3 andin the top cap recess 322. The engaging hole portion 41 has ahole-forming wall 414, an engaging hole 411 formed through thehole-forming wall 414 and two protrusions 416 extending from thehole-forming wall 414 toward the annular outer surface 214. Thehole-forming wall 414 is of T shape and has two connecting wall surfaces415 facing the annular top surface 219. The snappable connecting part 42has a plurality of connecting ribs 421 integrally interconnecting theconnecting wall surfaces 415 of the hole-forming wall 414 and theannular top surface 219 of the bottom cap body 2. Each of the connectingribs 421 of the snappable connecting part 42 gradually and downwardlyshrinks.

Further referring to FIG. 10, the safety bottle cap of this embodimentis in a non-hooked condition after it is manufactured as shown in FIG.7. In the non-hooked condition, the engaging hole portion 41 isintegrally formed on the surrounding wall portion 212 of the bottom capbody 2 via the snappable connecting part 42 of the safety mechanism 4,and the engaging hook portion 44 is integrally formed on the outerperipheral wall 32 of the top cap body 3. When it is desired to changethe safety bottle cap of the embodiment from the non-hooked condition toa hooked condition, it is only necessary to move the top cap body 3 tocover on the bottom cap body 2. During the covering process, theengaging hook portion 44 disposed on the top cap body 3 is graduallymoved toward the bottom cap body 2 along an inner side of thehole-forming wall 414. When the engaging hook portion 44 is engaged intothe engaging hole 411 of the engaging hole portion 41, the safety bottlecap is changed to the hooked condition as shown in FIG. 8. In the hookedcondition, the engaging hole portion 41 and the engaging hook portion 44engage each other, and the snappable connecting part 42 interconnectsthe bottom cap body 2 and the engaging hole portion 41, such that thetop cap body 3 is unable to be opened.

When the container 9 is used for the first time, the user inserts afinger into the bottom cap recess 217 to push the hole-forming wall 414of the engaging hole portion 41 in a direction 6 as shown in FIG. 9, soas to snap off the connecting ribs 421 between the hole-forming wall 414and the annular top surface 219 of the bottom cap body 2. At thismoment, the safety bottle cap is in an openable condition as shown inFIG. 10. The protrusions 416 in this embodiment are disposed forfacilitating the user to move the hole-forming wall 414 and foranti-slip purposes. Due to the shrinkage of the connecting ribs 421, thesnappable connecting part 42 is easy to snap off. Moreover, the colorsof the engaging hole portion 41 and the snappable connecting part 42 aredifferent from those of the top cap body 3 and the bottom cap body 2 inthis embodiment to enhance effect of identification. However,implementations are not limited thereto.

While the present invention has been described in connection with whatare considered the most practical and preferred embodiments, it isunderstood that this invention is not limited to the disclosedembodiments but is intended to cover various arrangements includedwithin the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as toencompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.

What is claimed is:
 1. A safety bottle cap comprising: a bottom cap bodyhaving a bottom cap wall that has a discharge opening; a top cap bodyopenably connected to and disposed above said bottom cap body, so as toseal said discharge opening of said bottom cap body; and a safetymechanism having an engaging hole portion, an engaging hook portionengaging hookably said engaging hole portion in such a manner to preventremoval of said engaging hook portion from said engaging hole portion,and a snappable connecting part that connects one of said engaging holeportion and said engaging hook portion to one of said bottom cap bodyand said top cap body, the other one of said engaging hole portion andsaid engaging hook portion being disposed on the other one of saidbottom cap body and said top cap body; wherein said snappable connectingpart is snapped off when said top cap body is opened for a first time,so as to expose said discharge opening of said bottom cap body.
 2. Thesafety bottle cap as claimed in claim 1, wherein said engaging holeportion is disposed on said bottom cap wall of said bottom cap body,said snappable connecting part having at least one connecting ribinterconnecting said engaging hook portion and said top cap body.
 3. Thesafety bottle cap as claimed in claim 2, wherein said engaging holeportion has a hole-surrounding surface that defines an engaging hole,and at least one stopping plate extending from said hole-surroundingsurface toward a center of said engaging hole, said engaging hookportion having a plate connected integrally to said snappable connectingpart, and an engaging hook extending from said plate and into saidengaging hole, said engaging hook having a straight inserting partconfigured to extend past said stopping plate, and a barb-shaped hookpart configured to abut against said stopping plate, so as to preventremoval of said engaging hook from said engaging hole.
 4. The safetybottle cap as claimed in claim 3, wherein said bottom cap wall has abottom base wall portion formed with said discharge opening, and asurrounding wall portion extending from an outer periphery of saidbottom base wall portion and disposed below said bottom base wallportion, said surrounding wall portion having an annular outer surfaceincluding a bottom cap recess, which is in spatial communication withsaid engaging hole and which is configured for said plate of saidengaging hook portion to be disposed therein.
 5. The safety bottle capas claimed in claim 4, wherein said bottom cap recess is L-shaped, andsaid plate is received fittingly within said bottom cap recess.
 6. Thesafety bottle cap as claimed in claim 4, wherein said top cap body has atop cap wall corresponding to said bottom base wall portion, an outerperipheral wall extending downward from an outer periphery of said topcap wall, and having a lower end abutting against said surrounding wallportion, and a flexible connecting wall integrally interconnecting saidtop cap wall and said surrounding wall portion.
 7. The safety bottle capas claimed in claim 1, wherein said engaging hook portion is formed onsaid top cap body, said engaging hole portion having a hole-formingwall, and an engaging hole formed through said hole-forming wall, saidsnappable connecting part having a plurality of connecting ribsintegrally interconnecting said hole-forming wall and said bottom capbody.
 8. The safety bottle cap as claimed in claim 7, wherein saidbottom cap wall has a bottom base wall portion formed with saiddischarge opening, and a surrounding wall portion extending from anouter periphery of said bottom base wall portion and disposed below saidbottom base wall portion, said surrounding wall portion having anannular top surface, and an annular outer surface having a bottom caprecess formed through said annular top surface, said hole-forming wallbeing of T shape and having two connecting wall surfaces facing saidannular top surface, said connecting ribs integrally interconnectingsaid connecting wall surfaces of said hole-forming wall and said annulartop surface of said bottom cap body.
 9. The safety bottle cap as claimedin claim 8, wherein each of said connecting ribs of said snappableconnecting part gradually and downwardly shrinks.
 10. The safety bottlecap as claimed in claim 9, wherein said engaging hole portion furtherhas at least one protrusion extending from said hole-forming wall towardsaid annular outer surface.
 11. The safety bottle cap as claimed inclaim 10, wherein said top cap body includes a top cap wallcorresponding to said bottom base wall portion, an outer peripheral wallextending downward from an outer periphery of said top cap wall andpermitting said engaging hook portion to be disposed thereon, and aflexible connecting wall integrally interconnecting said top cap walland said surrounding wall portion of said bottom cap wall.